


Who You Were Born To Be

by LarirenShadow



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-29
Updated: 2012-09-17
Packaged: 2017-11-13 03:29:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/498967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LarirenShadow/pseuds/LarirenShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since she became a teenager Lin couldn't understand the choices<br/>her mother made for her.  Based off of the movie "Brave"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Toph had been married long enough to get pregnant and have her new husband targeted and killed by the Triads. Three months pregnant and alone Toph assumed life would go on as normal. She got up and went to work after her bereavement period was over. She didn’t smile, per se, but she smirked and joked like she had before.

She helped to bring the murderers to justice and stayed for the entirety of their trial. She took pleasure in personally locking them in their cells.

A month passed and everything seemed normal again. Katara (and newborn Tenzin) routinely came over and checked on her, making sure everything was all right and offering a shoulder to cry on if she needed it. Toph always told her she was fine. 

She cried alone at night and that was all she needed.

~*~*~

Toph kicked the door closed. It seemed the farther along she got the more exhausted she became. To add to everything she had to plan for her replacement (as if anyone could really replace her) along with her normal duties. She flopped onto the couch and bent her uniform off. Soon she’d have to add even more metal to it or forgo it entirely.

Idly she ran her hand over her growing stomach thinking of everything she had to do and of the leftovers she had from the lunch she had brought home. 

As she sat debating whether or not it was a good idea to get up before Katara arrived or after (she came at the same time every night) she felt it. A push from the inside. Her baby moved. _Her baby moved_. Again, the little push. After months of sickness and aches it finally seemed real.

She turned towards the kitchen where he was making dinner. “The baby-” she caught herself. Without putting her feet on the floor or even listening for the tell tale signs of sizzling food she knew it was empty.

Everything came crashing down. He’s never feel the baby kick, never hold the baby, never take Toph’s hand and gently run it over the baby’s face as he described it for her, never help her come up with a name, and never sing the baby to sleep. 

He’d never see his baby. Just like her.

The crying started with a hiccup. She tried to stop it with a very loud snort but that only made it worse and caused her to cry harder.

She wasn’t aware that Katara was there till she felt herself being pulled into her friend’s embrace and having her hair stroked as Katara cooed soothing words. 

She sat up and pushed Katara away. “It’s not going to be ok! It will never be ok again! He’s never going to see his baby! I-”she gulped, “It wasn’t real till now. The baby kicked and he’s never going to feel that! I can’t-I can’t do this alone Katara!” She cried harder and collapsed onto Katara’s shoulder.

Katara resumed her previous ministrations. “I’ll help you,” she promised into Toph’s hair.

Toph hiccupped again. “You can’t, you already have Tenzin and Bumi and Kya. I can’t-”

“Yes you can. You’re not going to do this alone. I’ll just figure out a way to do both.”

Toph snorted again. “Sugar Queen-”

“Don’t start. I’ll figure it out.” Katara pulled Toph closer and began rubbing her back. “Right now I’m here for you to cry on.”

Toph wasn’t sure how long she cried but she stayed in Katara’s arms until her head hurt, her eyes felt drained, and her breathing was done in horrible little gasps. “Feel better?” Katara asked as Toph sat back on to the pillows.

“No,” Toph admitted. She felt drained and worse than she had in a long time.

She felt Katara move forward and brush the hair out of her face. “It will take time but I’m just across the bay. Grab Aang before he leaves the mainland even and I’ll be over right away,” Toph didn’t have to see to know that Katara was smiling. “You felt the baby kick today.”

“Yeah,” she admitted with a small, strained, smile. 

“Good I was a little worried about it.”

“Why?”

“Sometimes stress can make you, well, lose the baby. And kicking can start earlier. I didn’t want you to lose both. Lie down and I’ll check you out. Then we’ll come up with a plan for when the baby comes.” 

Toph dutifully relaxed back and soon felt the familiar cool tingling of Katara’s healing. Soon the sensation moved towards her head and eased some of the ache that the crying left. She whimpered when Katara removed the water from her head only to have it replaced with a cool cloth. “I’m going to make us some tea then we’re really going to discuss what to do. It’s been too long and I was never going to leave you alone with a newborn and before you object even I wouldn’t want to do it.” Toph huffed and closed her eyes and listened to Katara’s soft footfalls as she scurried around the kitchen lighting the stove and putting the kettle on. 

“Here,” Katara said a few minutes later as Toph sat up and took her cup. 

“Thank you,” she said before gently blowing on her tea before taking a sip. 

“Are you ready to talk about it?”

“No but I’m closer to five months along and soon the baby will be here and I can’t put it off forever.”

“You can move to the Island,” Katara offered.

“No, absolutely not. I’m not living like an airbender, no offense.”

“None taken. I will admit it was an,” she sipped her tea, “adjustment.”

“You mean Twinkletoes knows that you come to the City at least once a week to go out to lunch with Sokka and eat only meat?”

“Something like that.”

“Plus you already have your hands full with your own baby plus Kya and Bumi.”

Katara nodded before remembering to say “right.” She took a deep breath before saying the next option available. “Toph, I know you might not want this but, well, have you considered asking your parents for help?”

She didn’t want to admit she almost had. When they had come for the funeral she’d almost asked them to stay but pride had stopped her. At the time she’d convinced herself that she could still do everything. 

Now she knew she needed help. “Katara can you write the letter for me?” She asked softly.

“Of course.”

~*~*~

Two months and one very long conversation moderated by both Katara and Aang (“I’m the Avatar, it’s my job to keep the peace”) later, Lao and Poppy Beifong had purchased a new house in Republic City, Toph was moved in, and a baby’s room was set up.

Her parents accepted that Toph was her own person and not helpless while she accepted that there were going to be times where, no matter what she thought, they would know what’s best. She also secured a promise from them that, if her baby was a bender, they would let Toph decide what training the child would get.

~*~*~

“Make it stop make it stop make it stop!” Toph screamed as another contraction ripped through her abdomen.

“I know it hurts-”

“Of course you know it hurts! You’ve done this three time and I don’t know why Twinkletoes is still alive!” Poppy and the other healers laughed at Toph’s out burst. Katara chose to ignore that, much like she had the other comments about how she should just waterbend the baby out and why was this so painful and the threats.

“Toph you need a big push when the next contraction starts-”

“What do you think I’ve been doing Sugar Queen!” 

“Just do what I’m asking!” In response Toph grit her teeth and pushed as hard as she could. This felt horrible and she just wanted it to be over and make the pain stop and-

“I see the head! Another big push and your baby will be here.”

Toph pushed when her body urged and as she flopped back exhausted she heard her baby cry for the first time. “It’s a girl, Toph, you have a baby girl.”

Toph knew she was smiling like an idiot but she didn’t care. She reached out as she asked to hold her daughter. Katara gently placed the cleaned and bundled baby in Toph’s arms. She then took Toph’s hand and gently guided it over the baby’s face, just like Toph had asked her to do a few weeks ago. “She has black hair like you. This is her nose and her lips,” Toph was crying and she didn’t care. She hadn’t completely seen her daughter yet but she knew she was perfect.

“What are you going to name her?” Her mother asked.

“Lin,” Toph said. “After her father.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess what I want to say here is that, at least in the show, Toph can’t see wood. She’s blind in the wooden prison which leads me to believe she can’t see things that are in wood. This is important.

The best way Toph could describe motherhood was a combination of exhaustion, worry, pride, and love rolled into a usually smelly, whinny, adorable (at least she was told adorable) package that was her daughter. 

After the first few weeks Toph knew she wouldn’t have been able to do this alone. She hadn’t been able to find any baby related furniture that had metal in it so, in effect; she was almost blind in her daughter’s room. She could “see” where things were but what was on (or in) anything was beyond her reach. She fumbled when trying to change Lin, thought the baby had fallen to the floor for a second (the lack of vibrations should have been a tip off for that not happening), and tried to give Lin a bath. She wasn’t helpless, there were just things she needed a set of eyes to be able to do. 

Katara assured her that she had the same problems with Kya. “Then there was the time that I’m pretty sure Aang did actually drop her and then pretended he didn’t. I was so worried that we’d done something horribly wrong but she was fine. Lin is fine. You’re doing an amazing job...you know you have spit up down your back right?”

“I knew there was a reason I could still smell it!” Lin responded to her mother’s outburst with a cry of her own. “Spirits I woke her up,” Toph grumbled as she stood to go over to the bassinet where Lin slept, swaddled in green blankets.

“Go change and I’ll get her,” Katara offered. Toph made her way down the hall, reassuring herself by seeing the floor. She was thankful for her parents desire for stone floors rather than wood. Once in her room she quickly bent by her dresser, counted the knobs as she felt them, and picked the second one down, knowing that drawer held her shirts. She made sure Lin’s was set up the same way.

She could hear Katara begin to coo as soon as she left the room. “I have my own baby at home. In a little while you’ll meet him. We’re going to have play dates and birthday parties and you’ll go to school together. Maybe you’ll even date when you’re older.”

Toph glared at Katara (not quite at her but close enough). “Stop trying to marry off my daughter before she can speak.” Katara sighed as Toph held out her arms for her baby. “Besides she doesn’t need to get married if she doesn’t want to. She’s going to be strong, like her mommy.” Toph couldn’t see it but Lin was smiling.

~*~*~  
At two Lin started earthbending. “No!” she’d scream as she stopped her tiny feet, up ending a table with the sections of floor she sent up.

Her grandmother clicked her tongue. “You will wear this dress young lady or you won’t get any sweets.”

“NO!” Lin screamed louder as she ran from the room. Poppy took off after the toddler only to find her running into Toph’s arms as she came through the door. “Mommy!” Lin greeted as she jumped onto Toph’s legs.

“Hi my little badgermole,” Toph said as she scooped up her daughter. “Have you been good for Grandma and Grandpa?”

“No dress!” Lin said happily.

“She won’t wear it, it’s perfectly good and I don’t see why,” Poppy said holding up the dress before remembering Toph couldn’t see it.

“Maybe she doesn’t like the color,” Toph added before kissing her daughter’s head. “Do you like the color?”

“Can’t move,” Lin complained.

Toph nodded. “I think it’s time we start practicing your bending. Would you like that?”

“Yay!” Lin squealed as she throw up her hands. Toph put her down and Lin immediately scurried off.

“She’s getting faster,” Toph remarked as she bent her armor off. 

“She’s too young to start bending training and you know that Toph,” Poppy chided.

Toph let out a sigh. “Mom, we agreed. I’ll be in charge of Lin’s bending. You and Dad get to be the ones who help her with everything else. I’m going to be her bending teacher and I’m going to say when she starts. Now seems to be good,” Toph added as she twisted her foot and fixed the living room.

Poppy wrapped her arms around Toph. It had taken her years to finally see her daughter not as the helpless blind girl she’d known but as the strong woman she’d become. It was an adjustment, especially when Toph had stopped using all the manners she and her husband had tried to instill in her, but it was worth it.

“Fine, start her practice tomorrow. But do it outside.”

Toph blew her hair out of her eyes and huffed. “Of course, Mother, where else would you do it?”

“With that mouth people wouldn’t guess you were the chief of police.”

“And that’s why I have it.”

~*~*~  
“Mommy are you sure this will help?” Lin asked as she stumbled around blindfolded outside.

“Yes, I’m sure. Don’t worry, I’m here if you need me. Just stand still and stomp your feet like you’re going to bend. You need to hear the earth and then you can see it.”

“But I can see the earth already. It’s green because of the grass. Over by the back gate its brown because Tenzin and I dug it up to bury treasure. Wait don’t tell anyone I told you!” Lin cried out as she took her blindfold off. At five she was becoming fast friends with the little airbender, much to Toph’s amusement. 

“I won’t and put that back on, I know you took it off.” Lin grumbled and tied the blindfold back in place.

After an hour filled with stomping, cries of ‘its too hard!’ and encouragements of ‘just keep going’ Toph called for Lin to stop. Lin ripped off her blindfold and proceeded to march to the house making as much noise as possible. As she passed Toph she was deterred by her mother.

“Hey badgermole,” Toph said as she turned Lin to face her. Lin looked into her mother’s milky green eyes and waited for Toph to run her hand from her ear to her chin, the way that she knew her mother was looking at her. She relaxed when she felt the caress begin. “I know it’s hard, it took a lot of work for me to get learn it and even more for Uncle Aang. But I know you can. Even if it takes what seems like forever. I love you.”

Lin bit her lip. “Even if I put one of Grandma’s necklaces in the treasure?”

Toph laughed. “Even that because I’ll always love you, no matter what you do,” she hugged Lin and the hug turned into Toph picking up Lin to carry her inside. “You’re getting kind of big for this.”

“Because I’m a big girl now.”

“Not to big for me to tell you a story before bed, right?”

“The one about you and the badgermoles?” Lin asked happily.

“Of course but now I can’t remember how it begins,” Toph trailed off.

“It begins with you being sad and scared and running into the underground tunnels they lived in and then finding them!”

Toph let out another laugh. “Silly me, how could I have forgotten?”

Lin hugged her mother’s neck and burrowed closer. Her response of “I don’t know” was muffled in Toph’s neck.

~*~*~  
At eight Lin knew something was wrong. While her Mom and grandparents argued they’d never argued like this before. Usually it was short and Mom got her way about most things (except dresses and when Grandma did her hair, somehow Mom always lost that one) but this was different. This was the third night in a row they’d argued so much and so loud that Lin had woken up.

She crept out of her room and into the hallway, trying to get closer to hear what it was they were arguing about. She paused right before she entered the living room, hoping her mom was sufficiently distracted so she wouldn’t notice the extra feet on the floor.

She saw her mom and grandparents sitting at the table, teacups in front of them but glaring at one another. 

“Toph you have to be honest with us,” her grandpa began, “we need to know what kind of a threat Yakone really is. You’ve been working later and later and the papers are beginning to get worrisome.”

“Toph please,” her grandma pleaded. “Lin told us Tenzin and Bumi said they were going on a trip soon with just their sister and mother. That means Aang is sending them away and if the Avatar is sending his family away we need to know-”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle!” Toph screamed.

“This isn’t about proving yourself to us anymore! This is about the safety of your daughter and you know it!” Her grandfather yelled, his face as red as the fire lilies that grew in their garden.

“She’s perfectly fine here!” Toph yelled back standing up to face her parents.

Lao rose too and looked his daughter in the eyes. “You know,” he began in a deathly calm voice, “the triads targeted your family before-”

“Don’t you dare bring that up!” Toph screeched. Lin cowered back; she’d never seen her mom like this before. 

Poppy stood and took her husband’s hand. “I’m sorry Toph, that was uncalled for and I’m sure your father knows it too. But you have to answer our question: is Lin safe here?”

Lin watched her mother’s shoulders fall and hang her head. “If Yakone really is a bloodbender and really is able to do it without the full moon than no one is safe.”

“Then please Toph,” Poppy begged, “please let us take Lin to Gaoling. We’ll come back when everything is settled.”

“We’re just trying to do what’s best to keep Lin safe,” her father added. “You’re doing a wonderful job with her but sometimes we’re going to know what’s better for her.”

Toph slumped into her chair, her armor creaking slightly as she sat. “You’re right, I know you’re right but why is it so hard?”

Poppy went over to rub her daughter’s back. “Because being a parent is hard and doing the right thing is hard. We learned that with you but we also learned that there are times all three of us are going to have to let Lin make up her own mind.”

“I know,” Toph admitted. “Do what you need to. I can’t lose her too.”

Lao nodded. “I’ve already had everything packed. We’ll leave tomorrow and we’ll take a carriage.”

Lin crept back to her room. She was leaving tomorrow and her mom was staying. She didn’t know who this Yakone was, but he seemed to scare her mom. Lin knew he must be terrifying then.

What she didn’t know was that her grandparents had tapped into Toph’s biggest fear in that argument and that her grandparents now only had to say they were keeping Lin safe to get what they wanted for their granddaughter.

The next morning Poppy took Lin to the Air Temple to say goodbye to Tenzin.

“I’ll write to you,” he promised.

She snorted. “Your calligraphy is chicken scratch.”

He huffed out a gust of air as she turned to skip back to the dock. “At least it’s better than yours!” He called after her. Lin smirked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's some Linzin.

Lin spent six months in Gaoling. She went to school and made some friends but the one thing that she would later most remember about her time there was how people reacted to her name. She was used to people knowing her mom was the chief of police. Mostly other kids acknowledged it and then made her always be the cop in their games. She always complained, she wanted to be the robber sometimes.

Here, however, there was a respect that came with her name. Beifong was whispered all around her. Lin prepared herself for more fights over which part she’d get to play as one boy finally came over to her.

“You’re really a Beifong?” He asked.

“Yes, what’s it to you?” She said angrily.

“Your family is rich.”

“Uh ok?” She wasn’t really sure about that. She always assumed rich kids got whatever she wanted. She didn’t. Of course she would ask for toys but mostly she got ‘you have enough’ or ‘wait for your birthday’ as a response. She understood.

“Do you live in a mansion? Can I come over to play?”

Lin considered him for a moment. He seemed eager to see her house and she should make some friends (she really only had Tenzin as her friend back home but that was besides the point). “Do you have a set of toy soldiers?” Grandma made her leave hers at home.

The boy looked puzzled. “Yeah I do.”

“Good bring them to school tomorrow and after we’ll go to my house to play. Oh and I get to be the general not you, got it?” He nodded. Satisfied that she could make friends with people other than Tenzin, Lin turned away from the boy and headed to where some other kids were playing a game that involved a ball and moving it with earthbending.  
Lin’s grandma was not impressed with her friend. Nor was she impressed with the way Lin lead the pretend earthbending soldiers into battle. After the boy went home and Lin changed out of the ripped pants (causality of battle) Poppy sat her granddaughter down for, what she considered, a much-needed talk.

“Lin, sweetheart,” Poppy began watching the little girl squirm. She couldn’t remember Toph ever moving like that, however she could remember not being able to sit still as a child. “You’re growing up and it’s time to start acting like the young lady you are.”

“But Mommy says-” Lin began to protest.

“Your mom wants what’s best for you and agreed that I know what that is as much as she does. There are going to be some changes and I know you won’t like them at first but,” she waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “I’m sure you will in the future.” Lin kept squirming; she didn’t like where this was going.

One thing was for sure: Lin was going to have to listen to her grandmother until she could get her mom to help her.

Lin spent the next few months learning how to act like a proper lady, complete with rebukes about blenching, dirty hems, aggressive earthbending, and who she should and should not play with. She had no idea when she was going home but she counted the days till she could see her mom.

~*~*~  
Lin’s foot twitched with anticipation as she saw her home coming into view. She was going to see her mom and she was going to be able to stop being a lady.

When they arrived Lin jumped out of the carriage and ran up to the door, which Toph opened just in time to receive an enthusiastic hug from Lin. “Mommy I missed you!” Lin said into Toph’s stomach. Toph pushed Lin back a little so she could crouch down and hug her daughter properly. Lin buried her face in Toph’s neck, inhaling her mother’s scent and feeling the cool metal of her mom’s uniform under her fingers. She was home and she didn’t want to leave.

“I missed you too, badgermole,” Toph whispered to her daughter. 

Soon they relaxed and broke apart. “Tell me everything that you did while you were gone. Did you practice your earthbending? Did you make any new friends? How was-”

“Toph if we could speak for a moment,” Poppy interrupted her daughter.

Toph stood. “Of course, let’s all go have some tea-”

“Without Lin.” Lin opened her mouth to object but Poppy quickly added. “I’m sure she’d tired from the journey.”

“I’m not-” Lin began to protest.

“Badgermole why don’t you go play in your room for a little while Mommy and Grandma talk. After we can go earthbend outside,” Toph said trying to appease her daughter.

“Fine,” Lin replied in a surly tone.

“And don’t sneak into the hallway to listen, I’ll know if you do!” Toph called as Lin turned toward her room.

After quickly changing out of her dress and into a pair of pants, Lin pouted in her room. She was happy to be home but not happy that her grandmother was talking to her mother. She was supposed to do that first and make Mommy understand that she didn’t want to be a lady.

“Lin, sweetheart,” Lin jumped when she heard her mother’s voice. “Grandma and I had a talk,” Lin held her breath. She hoped this meant she could go back to being who she was. “And, well, we’ve decided it’s best if you keep learning manners along with your earthbending. I know you’re not going to like it but it’s something you need to know. You have to learn the rules before you break them,” she teased as she began to tickle Lin. Lin tried to be angry but ended up giggling. “Now get up badgermole and bring your blindfold. I want to see if you’ve been practicing your earthsense.”

“Yes Mommy,” Lin said as she grabbed her blindfold and followed Toph outside.

This wasn’t going to be the last conversation the two had on this subject.

~*~*~  
Lin’s sandals slapped the hot pavement as she ran from her house to the docks. She’d managed to run in and out of her house before her grandmother could notice that she had skipped her “lady lessons” (Lin’s term). She waved to the dock hands and she raced to where the jet ski Uncle Zuko had given her for her sixteenth birthday was moored.

She knew her mother would yell at her when she got home and threaten to stop paying for the fee of keeping this here. That was part of the deal: go to these things and she gets to keep the jet ski. Lin almost wanted to give the thing up but she knew her mother would find another way to bribe her into going to these things. Or she’d just give her a police escort. 

Sometimes she thought her mother never listened to her. She’d begged and pleaded to not have to go anymore and Toph had told her it was for the best. If this was the best Lin didn’t want it.

She fired up the jet ski and sped to Air Temple Island. This was the best part of the gift: it got her away from her mother and to her second family.

Wind and spray whipped her face as she pushed the jet ski as fast as she could. Her bag tugged at her and she hoped the strap didn’t break. If it did she would make Tenzin go fetch it. She slowed as she neared the Island, seeing Tenzin waiting for her on the dock. 

She smiled at him as she threw him the rope to help her tie the jet ski down. He dutifully caught it, tied it to the pier, and offered his hand so she could climb up. She gave him a peck on the lips for his efforts.

“You’re still in your dress,” he commented as they began walking to the Temple. She punched him in the arm. 

“I know that, skybison, but I had to hightail it out of there before anyone saw me,” she smoothed her light green dress down a little self-consciously. She didn’t mind the color but she hated that it was a dress and expected of her. “I have stuff to change into so I need to borrow your room.”

Tenzin let out a martyred sigh. “Fine but don’t go snooping like you did last time. I get enough of that from Bumi.”

Lin batted her eyelashes at him. “I wasn’t snooping, I was being a curious girlfriend who wanted to know what you got me for my birthday.”

“You were snooping and you’ve done it since we were kids.” Lin stuck her tongue out at him. Just because they were now dating didn’t mean she had to treat him any different. She just got to kiss him every so often. 

Once they were at his room she shut his door in his face. She laughed when she heard the tell tale thump of Tenzin’s back hitting the door. She knew he was pouting; she’d apologize and kiss him and possibly offer to groom Oogi. Well maybe not the last part. She quickly changed out of her dress and into a pair of once green now decidedly brown shorts that went down to her knees and a white tank top she’d bought without her mother or grandmother knowing.

She heard Bumi’s laughter outside and Tenzin screaming “It’s not like that and mind your own business!” Maybe offering to groom Oogi was needed.

“You can come in now,” she called to Tenzin as she flopped onto his bed.

“Why do you get the bed?”

“Who says I have to have it all to myself,” Lin replied boldly. Tenzin smiled as he sat down next to her. This time he indicated the kiss. They were still at the sweet kisses phase, both of them following their instincts rather than experience. Tenzin pulled Lin down and continued kissing her. Soon there were long pauses between kisses. Lin settled herself against Tenzin’s chest as he stroked her back. They were content, or at least Lin thought so. She wasn’t ready to go farther yet.

“Can I stay here tonight?” She asked.

“I’m sure Mom already has a room for you somewhere but why?” 

“I just don’t want to go home. Mom has been working longer hours which leave me with Grandpa and the witch.”

“You’re lucky you even have more than one grandparent.”

Lin sat up and glared at him. “Right, I’m so lucky. I have a grandfather who let’s his wife walk all over him, a grandmother who insists on me being a perfect delicate flower when I’ve said I don’t want to be that, that I want to be a cop like my mother, and a mother who hasn’t listened to me since I as a kid and just agrees with whatever my grandmother says because she thinks its for the best and she’s too busy with her job for me! Oh and I’m supposed to be an amazing earthbender but not actually ever earthbend. Not to mention metalbending which I’ve begged Mom to teach me and she won’t because Grandma thinks it’s not proper for a lady to know!”

Tenzin sat up and gave her his own piercing glare. “Of course what do I know about having expectations? I’m just one of the two living airbenders and the son of the Avatar!”

“At least your parents listen to you!” Tenzin opened his mouth to argue and closed it. Lin knew that was the truth. He may be all that he said but if he suddenly said he wanted to be a Water Tribe warrior his parents would support him and Uncle Sokka would gladly train him. She didn’t have that option.

Tenzin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Lin almost laughed: she always teased him about his feelings growing up. “Yeah I know and you know Mom and Dad love you and you can stay if you like.”

“Thanks but I should probably go home and face my problems head on like an earthbender. Can’t have your airbender avoidance getting to me.”

“I do not avoid things!” Tenzin replied angrily.

“Oh yeah so why were you hiding from Kya for awhile?”

“That wasn’t avoiding, that was life preserving. You don’t know what its like to live with a pissed off waterbender during a full moon.”  
“You were hiding from her for a week.”

“Leading up to and directly following the full moon.”

“Tenzin, sweetie, it’s time for-oh Lin, will you be joining us for dinner?” Katara asked after she opened the door without knocking. Lin and Tenzin quickly jumped apart.

“Uh, no thank you Auntie Katara, I have to get home,” Lin quickly stood and grabbed her bag off the floor.

“Say hi to your mom for me. And don’t ride that awful thing too fast!” Katara called after her.

Lin took her time getting home. She knew her grandmother would “have words with her” when she got home and Lin wasn’t looking forward to it.

There was only so much time she could take while walking home. 

“Where have you been?” Her mother asked as she dragged her bag through the front door.

“Air Temple Island,” she replied truthfully. She could never lie to her mother, even without knowing that Toph could tell when she did.

“Grandma is furious,” Toph told her as she followed Lin to her room.

“What else is new?”

“I was worried. The Triads have been-”

Lin sighed and turned to face her mother. “The Triads are always acting up! I know what to do if I ever run into them! They never go to the Temple and if they did I’m sure Uncle Aang and Auntie Katara could handle them! Or maybe even I could if you’d let me learn metalbending!” She was angry and everything was pouring out.

“Lin you have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s dangerous out there and your grandparents and I are trying very hard to do what’s best for you and keep you sa-”

“That’s all you ever do! You never listen to what I want! You haven’t since I was a child! I’m sixteen years old. What were you doing when you were sixteen? Oh right teaching metalbending! You didn’t do what your parents wanted you to do so why should I?” Lin watched her mother’s face lose all expression. It scared her.

“Go to your room.”

“No!” Toph turned her foot and Lin was catapulted into her room. “That’s not fair!”

“You are going to stay in here until you calm down. When you have I’ll explain to you that things were different then and why everything we’re doing is for the best.” Toph pulled the door closed with a metal cable. Lin glared at the closed door. Fine, she’d just run away. 

~*~*~  
Toph took a deep breath. Lin didn’t know what was best for her, she argued. She just needed to understand. She’d talk to Lin when she calmed down, really talk to her. She’d tell her she couldn’t lose her daughter like she lost her husband. She’d explain about the threats she received daily. She’d explain everything and hope Lin listened.

**Author's Note:**

> Over a month ago (at least), on a very crazy night, tumblr decided to start “LOK Disney Madness”. I signed up for it with a Toph and Lin Brave AU. So here’s the beginning. I’m not going to promise regular updates but I’ll try. I actually have an outline for this fic too.
> 
> On the name: as far as the usual baby name website I use goes Lin is apparently a gender neutral name.


End file.
